Switch construction



A. B. RYPINSKI SWITCH CONSTRUCTION sept. 2o, 1938.

Filed NOV. 2, 1936 Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNMED PATENT QFFICE Metropolitan Device tion 'of New York Corporation, a corpora- Application. November 2, 1936, Serial No. 108;'768

6 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to a switch construction of the type that is enclosed in a cabinet and in particular to a switch construction of the' type commonly known as a 5 quick make and break switch in which the switch is opened and closed by a snap action mechanism.

In switch constructions of this type, there is provided a snap action mechanism which usually consists of an element that acts upon the switch to actuate the movable element of the switch to open and close the switch. This actuating element is moved manually, through an operating handle and intermediate mechanism, from one extreme position of its movement to a position substantially midway of the two extreme positions of its movement, and resilient means, usually a spring, carries the actuating element from such midway position to the extreme position oi its movement towards which it is directed by the movement of the operating handle. rIhe mechanism heretofore used for effecting this operation has been somewhat complicated, particularly in switches of comparatively heavy capacity, and it is an object of this invention to provide a switch of this type that is simple and sturdy in construction and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. Another object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the switch constitutes a unit that is readily and easily removed from the cabinet and replaced in the cabinet.

in accordance with the invention there is provided a switchunit that is removably secured in the cabinet and operated by a switch-operating handle exteriorly of the cabinet. The switch unit includes a switch support that is secured to the rear wall of the cabinet, a switch secured to the support, a bail-shaped, switch-operating member journaled in the support and operatively connectedto the switch, and snap-action, bailoperating mechanism mounted on the support. The snap action mechanism includes an actuating element that is directly engaged by a switch-operating handle that is mounted in the side wall of the cabinet and exteriorly of the cabinet so that the switch may be operated without opening the cabinet.

A. switch constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the switch, the cover of the cabinet being in the open position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

(Cl. Zilli-7) Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is another fragmentary section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

The switch construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 is of the type commonly known as a quick make and break switch construction that utilizes a snap-action for opening and closing the switch. The construction includes a sheet metal cabinet l having a cover 2 that is secured to the cabinet by hinges 3. Within the cabinet a combined switch unit and fuse block is mounted. This switch unit includes a switch support l that is made from a single piece of sheet metal. The switch support 4 comprises a base lia that abuts against and is secured to' the rear wall ia of the cabinet I by machine screws 5. At those portions of the base where the machine screws are received, there is an opening 6 in the base which is large enough to receive the head of the screw 5. This opening communicates with a slot 6a which is of less width than the head of the screw. This arrangement is provided so that the switch support may be secured to and removed from the cabinet without wholly removing the machine screws 5. The switch support l also includes a switch-supporting portion ib that is spaced from the base la, an extension lic on one side of the l base and an extension lid at the other side of the base.

To the switch-supporting portion lb of the switch support, a combined switch unit and fuse block l is secured. The base la of the switch unit is directly secured to the switch-supporting portion of the switch support and it is, in consequence, spaced from the rear wall la of the cabinet. The switch 'l is of a type well known in the art and includes three rotatably mounted switch elements la, lb and lc. A bail-shaped switch-operating member includes aligned bearing sections a and 8b at each end thereof that are journaled in the extensions llc and iid. The bail also includes an olset section 8c that extends between the switch and the rear wall of the cabinet or the plane of the base of the switch support and legs 8d and 8e joining the bearing sections and the oiset section 8c. The oiset section 8c of the bail member is received in slots in the rotatably mounted switch elements la, 'lb and lc. The bearing section 8b is journaled in a bushing 9 secured in the extension ld and upon which a bail-operating member It is rotatably mounted. The leg 8e of the bail member is such that it lies adjacent the extension 4d and substantially parallel thereto. As the bail member-is swung about the axis of its bearing portions, the switch elements 1d, 1b and 1c are moved about their axes so as to open or close the switch.

The bail-operating member I0 forms a part of the quick make and break mechanism that is mounted on the extension 4d. The member III is made of heavy sheet metal and includes a radial extension or arm Illa, spaced, laterally extending abutments Illb and I 0c, extending towards the switch and embracing the leg le of the bail member, and a lateral extension IIId extending in a direction opposite to the direction of the abutments I 0b and Inc. The abutments or lateral extensions IIlb and IIIc are positioned to engage the bail member as the disk I0 is rotated. It will be observed that if the disk III is rotated counterclockwise from the position shown in Figure 4, the edge of the extension I0b will, after the disk has turned through a deiinite angle, engage the leg 8e 'of the bail member and continued rotation of the disk will effect rotation of the bail member and thus cause rotation of the switch elements. The lateral extension Ind extends through an arcuate slot 4e formed in the extension 4d and through this extension IcZ the bail-actuating member Ill is actuated by a manual lever or handle I I.

A snap action of the disk I Il is effected by the use of a spring I2 that surrounds a rod I3, one end of which is pivotally secured to the arm I 0a of the disk I0 at I4. The rod extends through fand it is slidably mounted in a bracket I5 mounted on the plate 4d and the spring acts between the bracket I5 and a shoulder I3a. formed on the rod adjacent the pivot I4. When the disk I0 is moved counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4, the spring I2 will iirst be compressed as the disk moves to the position in which the abutment IIlb engages the bail, and as the disk I0 passes a point where the axis of the rod and the center of the pivot crosses the axis of the bail member or the disk I0, the energy stored up in the compressed spring I2 will cause a rapid movement of the disk III thus effecting a snapaction or a quick make or break movement of the switch. When rotated in the opposite direction the same effect is of course obtained, the

`abutment I0c acting on the bail member.

It will be seen from the above description, that the switch mechanism so far described constitutes a complete unit that may be removed from the cabinet as a unit since the switch and all operating parts thereof` are mounted upon the switch support.

The disk I0 is rotated about its axis to effect the operation of the switch by a switch-operating handle II. The switch-operating handle has a circular portion IIa that is received in an opening I5 in the side wall Ib of the cabinet. On the section IIa of the switch-operating handle, there are formed three overhanging lugs I'I, I8 and I9 of different widths. In inserting the handle, these lugs are received .in corresponding slots 20, 2I and 22 that are radial of the circular opening I6 in which the section IIa of the operating handle is received. As the handle is rotated, the overhanging lugs engage the inner surface of the side Wally I b of the cabinet and prevent the removal of the handle except when the lugs are aligned with their corresponding slots. In use, the lugs cannot become aligned with the overhanging slots because the switch-operating handle operates between stops 23 and 24 mounted on the outer surface of the side wall Ib. These stops are'in the form of angle brackets and engage a projection IIb formed on the handle II. In the section IIa o1' the operating handle there is formed a groove II c which extends between the lugs I1 and I8. The extension IIId from the rotatably mounted member- III extends into the groove I I c and as the operating handle is turned, for example, counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 5, the end of the groove at the lug I1 engages the projection or extension IIId 'and thus causes a rotation of the disk to a point where the spring I2 carries the disk the full movement to open or close the switch. Likewise, when the switch handle is moved in the opposite direction the end of the groove represented by the lug I9 engages the projection orV extension I0d and moves the disk in the opposite direction.

These switches are usually mounted with the rear wall Ia of the cabinet vertical. Due to the blades on the rotating switch elements, there is a slight unbalance of these elements and unless restrained, the bail memberv and switch elements tend to follow movement o! the actuating disk lll before the bail is engaged by the abutment I0c. To effect such restraint on. the bail member there is provided a leaf spring 25 that is secured to the switch support and which engages the bail member when the bail is in the uppermost position of its movement, i. e., when the switch is in the open position. l

Movement of the bail member in either direction is limited by a stop plate 26. 'I'his plate includes a section 26a that is secured to the switch support and a section 2Gb at right angles to the section 26a and lateral of the rear wall of the cabinet. The section 26a has an arcuate groove 26e in the edge thereof and in 'which the section 8c of the bail member is received. The arcuate slot terminates in radial shoulders 26dl and 26e which form limit stops.

In removing the switch unit from the cabinet, theextension Iild slips out of the groove IIc in the operating handle and it is readily and easily inserted in the groove when the switch unit is replaced. Thus the switch together with its quick make and break or snap-action mechanism is readily and easily removed from the cabinet and replaced. To remove the switch it is only necessary to loosen the machine screws 5. The switch unit may be then slid along the rear wall of the cabinet until the heads of the screws are aligned with the opening 6 or free of the slots Ea when the switch unit may be lifted from the cabinet. It is not necessary, in removing the switch unit or inserting another, to remove the switch-operating handle I4.

It is obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the details of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing and described in detail above within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An enclosed switch construction comprising a sheet metal cabinet and'a readily removable switch unit within the cabinet including a switch support removably secured to the rear wall of the cabinet and constructed to support a switch spaced from the wall of the cabinet, a switch secured to the support and a bail-shaped, switchoperating member between the switch and the rear wall of the cabinet and journaled in the switch support, and a switch-operating member 75 extending through the side wall of the cabinet and journaled therein coaxially with the bail member.

2. An enclosed switch construction comprising a sheet metal cabinet and a readily removable switch unit within the cabinet including a switch support having a base removably secured to the rear wall of the cabinet, a switch supporting portion spaced from the base and an extension at each side thereof extending substantially laterally of the plane of the base, a switch mounted on the support and a bail-shaped, switch-operating member extending transversely between the switch and the rear wall of the cabinet and journaled in said side extensions, and a switchoperating handle extending through the side wall of the cabinet and journaled therein coaxially with the bail member.

3. An enclosed switch construction comprising a sheet metal cabinet and a readily removable switch unit within the cabinet including a switch support removably secured to the rear wall of the cabinet, a switch mounted on the support, a bail-shaped, switch-operating member journaled in the support and operatively connected to the switch and a snap-action mechanism mounted on the support including a rotatably mounted member having spaced abutments for engaging said bail-shaped, switch-operating member and a lateral extension, and a switchoperating handle journaled in the side wall of the cabinet coaxially with the bail-shaped member and positioned to operatively engage the extension of said rotatably mounted member.

4. An enclosed switch construction comprising a sheet metal cabinet, a readily removable switch unit within the cabinet including a switch support removably secured to the rear wall of the cabinet and having a lateral extension at each side thereof, a switch mounted on the support, a bail-shaped, switch-operating member journaled in said side extensions, and a snap-action mechanism mounted on one of said extensions and including a member rotatably mounted on the bail-shaped, switch-operating member having spaced abutments for engaging the bailshaped member anda lateral extension, and a switch-operating handle journaled in the side wall of the cabinet coaxially with the bail-shaped member and positioned to operatively engage the extension of said rotatably mounted member.

5. An enclosed switch construction comprising a sheet metal cabinet, a readily removable switch unit within the cabinet including a switch support removably secured to the rear wall of the cabinet and having a lateral extension at each side thereof, a switch mounted on the support, a bail-shaped, switch-operating member journaled in said side extensions, and a snap-action mechanism mounted on one of said extensions and including a member rotatably mounted on the bail-shaped, switch-operating member and having spaced abutments for engaging the bailshaped member and a lateral extension, and a switch-operating handle journaled in the side wall of the cabinet coaxially with the bail-shaped member and having a groove therein positioned to receive the extension of said rotatably mounted member.

6. An enclosed switch construction comprising a sheet metal cabinet, a readily removable switch unit within the cabinet including a switch support removably secured to the rear wall of the cabinet and having a lateral extension at each side thereof, a switch mounted on the support including rotatably mounted switch elements, a bail-shaped. switch-operating member journaled in said side extensions, and a snap-action mechanism mounted on one of said extensions and including a 'sheet metal disk rotatable about the axis of the bail-shaped member and having lateral abutments for engaging the bail-shaped member, and a lateral extension, extending in a direction opposite to the said abutments, and a switch-operating handle journaled in the side wall of the cabinet coaxial withthe bail-shaped member and having a. groove therein positioned to receive the extension from said disk.

ALBERT B. RYPINSKI. 

